High-performance female coaches to give free talk at Leeds Beckett

Marieanne Spacey, Assistant Manager of the England Women's Football Team; Paula Dunn, Head Coach of the Great Britain Paralympic Team; and Salma Bi, award-winning cricketer and founder of a coaching organisation that promotes the women's game, will be in conversation with Shelley Alexander, BBC Editor for Women's Sport, in the final instalment of the Carnegie Conversations guest lecture series.

The free talk, sponsored by Frontrow Legal, will take place at 6pm on Thursday 28 April at the Lewis Jones Suite, Headingley Carnegie Stadium.

Speaking ahead of the event, Dr Leanne Norman, Senior Research Fellow in the School of Sport at Leeds Beckett and host on the evening, said: "We are very proud to welcome three of the most senior UK women coaches in their respective sports and the Women’s Sports Editor for the BBC to our University. To have all four individuals in the same room at the same time discussing pertinent issues and strategies related to recruiting and progressing a more diverse coaching workforce, whilst regaling the audience with tales of their own sporting journeys, promises for an informative, enlightening and unique Carnegie Conversation.

“We also look forward to welcoming a diverse audience, from staff and students to National Governing Bodies, coaches and athletes, to provide opportunities to share and network.”

The series has already played host to stars from the world of sport, including Leeds Rhino’s legend, Kevin Sinfield, Yorkshire Carnegie Head Coach, Bryan Redpath and Yorkshire County Cricket Club first-team Coach, Jason ‘Dizzy’ Gillespie.

Professor Andrew Slade, Deputy Vice Chancellor Research and Enterprise at Leeds Beckett, added: “It is an absolute privilege to have these four women speak at our University alongside Dr Leanne Norman, who has herself worked with a variety of sporting organisations to improve gender and racial equality within their coaching and athletic workforce.

“The diversity of speakers and their achievements will make for an interesting and inspiring event.”

The Carnegie Conversations series will return again in January 2017.  For information on this and other Leeds Beckett events go to http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/events/ and to join in the conversation use the hashtag #CarnegieEvents.

Image: Dr Leanne Norman